forum The Strangers in the Palace (Closed)(Fantasy)

Started October 31, 2021 by @LovelyRose

tune

Arquis shook his head and yawned again, his nose wrinkling. “Maybe another day. I have other matters to attend to.”

And just like that, he was asleep. His breathing had gradually been slowing, but it evened out just a bit after he’d mumbled that last word. If he had been awake, he would’ve deduced that it was in fact not the art but the kissing that had worn him out. But he was in fact not awake, and so he deduced absolutely nothing.

He began to have an odd dream. Around him was the forest he’d grew up in, the one that he and Rin had trekked through. There was someone running through the trees in front of him, but whenever he tried to call out to them, they wouldn’t respond. He could hear their clothes rustling the dead leaves on the ground and occasionally spy their feet kicking up dirt. Though he wasn’t sure who or what they were, he knew instinctively that they’d stop him from leaving if he tried.

The dream suddenly shifted. Now, he was the one running. He wasn’t in the forest anymore, though he wasn’t sure exactly where he’d gone. It was dark. There was a familiar smell in the air, one he knew he should’ve recognized but couldn’t quite place. And then there was a hand on him, and then another, and he was falling face first through a massive king-sized bed. When he landed, he found that the breath had been knocked out of him. It didn’t come back. He had the sudden and panicked notion that he was drowning, even though he wasn’t in water but a massive pile of tiny pillows. The pillows were crawling in circles like confused worms. He became even more panicked that they would try and climb into his throat, which was ridiculous because he already couldn’t breathe.

The nightmare seemed never ending. One foul scene played out after the other, each more confusing than the last.

Rin just lay still, holding Arquis, for a while, before they too eventually dropped off to sleep, still holding Arquis in their arms. Very now and again, he would shift, drawing Arquis closer, though even in sleep his touch was soft and gentle and easy enough to break away from had Arquis tried.

(I did a mini time skip just to keep things moving, I hope that’s ok!!!)

Despite being trapped in a nightmare, Arquis stayed asleep for quite a long time. It was just past dinner by the time he finally woke, and he didn’t exactly jolt awake, either. He slowly stirred due to an unknown sound and finally opened his eyes when it didn’t stop. Much to his surprise, it seemed to be hailing outside, and the room was much colder and darker than it had been before.

Carefully, as to not wake Rin, he shifted up and onto the edge of the bed. The contents of his nightmare had made him a bit nauseous, and he was absolutely drenched in sweat. With unsteady hands, he undid the top few buttons of his shirt. The cold air felt horrid on his damp skin, but he needed it to calm himself. He lowered his head in between his legs and screwed his eyes shut.

(it's fine!)

Rin stayed asleep, though he shifted very faintly when Arquis pulled away, one arm remaining outstretched where it had been wrapped around his partner. If Arquis were to awaken them, they would be quite ready to comfort him if he wanted it, but without being awoken, they would have no clue that Arquis might need help.

Once he was feeling a touch more stable, Arquis turned to confirm that he hadn’t interrupted his partner’s rest. He gently tucked their arm back by his side and stood slowly so that he wouldn’t shake the bed. He went to the window, tugged the curtains in front to dull the sound of the weather, and then stepped into the bathroom. As he’d done hundreds of times before, he splashed his face in the sink, tidied his hair, and stared at himself in the mirror. His complexion was a bit pale; he remedied that by patting his cheeks until they were rosy.

Only then did he return to Rin’s side, settling down beside him in bed. He slipped himself into a similar position as before and gently shook their shoulder.

“Good evening, love,” he hummed quietly. “Sorry to wake you, but I was worried you might be hungry if you did not eat tonight.”

Rin stirred when Arquis shook them, their eyes slowly blinking open. "Oh." they breathed faintly. "Hi." they pushed themselves up on one elbow, rubbing his eyes with one of his hands. "Did you sleep well?" he hadn't meant to fall asleep, but it had been so warm and comfortable, and, well…they just couldn't help it, really.

Arquis ducked around the question, giving them a smile and a peck on the cheek. He didn’t want to lie to him, but the longer he thought about the dream, the worse he felt. He swore that he could still hear rapid footsteps and taste fabric in his mouth. There was a whole part in it where he’d thought he’d woken up, only to find himself back at the Palace. He was glad that it hadn’t been reality.

“It is likely past dinnertime, my dear.” He kissed them again, this time on the brow. “Would you prefer to eat in the dining hall or in here? I can fetch food again, if you’d enjoy the latter.”

"Whichever you would like." Rin replied, returning the kisses softly. "The dining hall might be interesting, but we have more privacy if we eat in here." they gently reached out to bring Arquis closer, wrapping an arm around the nobleman. They had noticed that he dodged the question, but he didn't want to press. If Arquis wanted to tell him, he would listen, but if Arquis did not, then they would not press for answers that the nobleman wasn't willing to give.

Arquis nuzzled against him for a minute before wiggling out of their grasp. With a soft exhale, he stretched, then stood. His shirt rode up, showing a strip of his pale stomach.

“I am a bit too drained, I believe, to eat in the dining hall. We have had plenty of strange encounters today already. I am not opposed to meeting strangers, but perhaps we could eat there tomorrow?”

Just as he finished saying that, there was a knock on the door. Arquis sighed and walked over. What he didn’t expect was to see Honey wearing a very large, puffy jacket over shorts and fishnet leggings. His shirt was a simple black top, and he had on matte lipstick.

“Honey?” Arquis asked, bewildered.

“Sorry to be a bother again, sweetie, but I’m here on a shift. Since the weather’s so bad, we’re bringing food to everyone’s rooms. Dining hall’s closed ‘cause there’s glass in there, and we just wanna make sure no one gets hurt.”

Arquis noticed that he was holding onto a rolling cart. Honey pushed it into the room. When he saw Rin, he grinned, his dimples showing. When he saw the marks on them, the grin grew.

“Hey there, hot stuff. You get my chocolates?”

“And your note,” Arquis grumbled, walking over to the bed and flopping down beside his partner.

They easily released him, watching him with a smile. "Alright, we can eat there tomorrow." he finished, just as Arquis opened the door. "Hey, Honey." they greeted, sitting up all the way. Their still unbuttoned shirt fell open with the movement, though they didn't really seem to care. "We got your chocolates, yes. Thank you, it was a good gesture." they gave Arquis a soft smile, reaching over to take his hand.

Honey’s eyes went directly to their chest, but, almost as if scolded, he instantly looked away. He pulled his coat tighter about himself and gestured to the cart.

“You two are my last stop of the night,” he said, suddenly quite interested in a small teapot, “so I’m real sorry if there aren’t many options. The cooks only made so much.”

“That is alright. Thank you,” Arquis replied. He brought Rin’s hand to his lips and kissed their knuckles, going one at a time. He was too busy with the task to notice the way Honey’s mouth thinned and shoulders slumped. By the time he looked back, the young man had put his metaphorical mask on again; he was leaning against the cart with a lazy smirk, like he’d witnessed something indecent.

“I think there are some sandwiches left, if you’re hungry for some actual food,” he teased. He bumped the handle of the cart with his hip, winking almost comically at the both of them.

Rin cast Arquis a soft smile, getting up from the bed so he could come over to the cart. "It's fine. Thank you, Honey." he said, making eye contact for a moment before looking at the cart again. He hadn't quite noticed the changes in expression that Honey had gone through, though they sort of sensed something was off. They didn't say anything, though, just looking at the options that remained.

Honey let out a soft sigh of relief at their gratitude and smiled to himself. It was almost sad, the way he relaxed as if he’d been expecting something worse. Arquis had noticed the subtle shift this time, and he wondered, not for the first time, what else the man was hiding behind his facade.

Not wanting to stare for too long, Arquis followed Rin’s lead and started to pick through the available food. He settled on some small, dainty sandwiches, which he set onto a plate. He also took, after thinking for a bit, a ripe fruit and a small, paper-wrapped cake pop. If he wasn’t going to be fully honest about his nightmare, he was going to at least try to eat better. Rin deserved his effort.

As Arquis set the plate onto a convenient wicker tray, he noticed that Honey was shivering slightly. He cocked his head.

“Honey, are you alright?”

“Mm? What? Oh, yeah, it’s just a bit chilly.”

“You are wearing shorts,” he pointed out, “and it is below freezing outside. Perhaps you should put on something warmer?”

“But then you wouldn’t get to see these,” Honey laughed in response, patting his thighs. The joke fell flat, mostly because even he didn’t seem into it. After a moment, he stopped smiling and shrugged. “People don’t like it when I cover up. Besides, we have heating here. It’s not a big deal.”

Rin took some food as well, setting it to the side and studying Honey as he and Arquis spoke. At the young man's final words, he frowned for a moment. "It's…not up to them. I get that your job is…that that's your job, but you can wear pants and still look sexy." they said softly. "Hell, leggings still show off the shape without being as chilly." they looked a bit concerned now.

“Aw, no need to get all worried now, charmer. You’re sweeter than sugar, but I’ll be just fine. Pinky promise.”

Honey’s words didn’t quite align with his actions. As soon as they got closer, he backed away slightly, eyes flickering briefly between the two of them. As if assessing the fastest way out of the situation. As if predicting who would lash out first. It made Arquis feel sick, just like he had after the dream.

“I am just concerned that you might catch cold,” Arquis protested softly.

“Nah, I’m good, sweetheart. I’ve got a coat on. See?” He stroked his left hand down the fluffy fabric of it. “It’s got pockets and everything. Real high quality stuff. And it looks pretty damn great, too.”

Rin immediately backed off when he realized how uncomfortable Honey looked. They studied the young man for a moment longer, then nodded slowly. "I see. Well…if you need help with anything or anyone, you can let us know. Not sex, mind you, but…I don't know." they looked away after a moment, unsure if they were overstepping any boundaries somehow.

“I’ll be fine.” Honey must’ve realized how frustrated he sounded, as he’d said that through gritted teeth. He slapped on another smirk and grabbed the handle of the cart. As if to prove his point, he sent them another wink.

“There’s nothing here that I can’t handle. Nothing too big or bad for me.” That was paired with a suggestive brow raise and a laugh. Arquis didn’t laugh back. He was concerned with how practiced those lines sounded. It was as if they’d been rehearsed, like he’d said them to others before. “But thanks anyways, handsome.”

Rin studied Honey again, nodding slowly. "If you're sure about that, Honey." they replied, giving the young man a faint smile, trying to reassure him. "You really can come to us, though, if you need something." they hoped Arquis didn't mind that they were volunteering them like that, but…he didn't want Honey to think no one could or would help. They had been in that situation, once.

Honey looked at him for a moment, really looked at him. It almost seemed as if he was going to say something. But then that smile curved his painted lips, and he rolled the cart to the door.

“Yeah, I’m sure. I’ve got everything under control.” He was still shivering as he said that, though, so it came out shaky. “Now, enough about me. You two have fun. Try not to stay up all night. Or do. I’m not the boss of you, unless that kinda thing gets you going.”

“Honey, wait-” Arquis started, but he’d already hurried out the door. The cart clanged down the hall as he left.

Rin watched Honey go, his brows gathering together slightly. "Something's wrong." he said in a quiet tone, looking at Arquis pensively. "He doesn't seem alright, and I…it…it bothers me." they admitted. Maybe– probably– it was because of their past, but he knew how easy it was to feel stuck in something that only caused you pain and hurt. He knew how many people just turned a blind eye.

“I believe you are correct,” Arquis replied. He noticed his partner’s concern and mentally connected it to their past. As gently as he could, he guided him to the bed. He moved the food so that it wouldn’t spill or leave crumbs on their blankets, then helped them sit.

“It worries me how little he seems to think of himself. And the eyeshadow he wears… natural eyeshadow, to match his skin tone…” He shook his head, concern building inside him.

Rin nodded, sitting down and leaning their head against Arquis. "Yeah. I…uhm…we can't make him tell us anything he doesn't want to tell us, but, uhm…it worries me." they took a deep breath, trying to steady himself before he spoke again. "Sorry. It's only that…the woman giving us the pedicure earlier was so concerned I was abusing you, but…if Honey's being hurt, then…why hasn't anything been done about that?"

Arquis stroked through their hair, knowing how much he liked touch but not wanting to overdo it when discussing such a hard topic. Kissing, he assumed, would probably be too much. If it turned out that he did want that, then Arquis would gladly provide, but he wouldn’t do it unless they initiated that specific display of affection.

“They might not know about it. Honey is both charismatic and intelligent. He would have not only the knowledge to know when and how to properly distract those around him but also enough charm to repeatedly get away with it.” He paused, wanting to give Rin some time to breathe. “But I imagine… I imagine that the worse it gets, the harder it is to hide. And it might not all be from the same person—he did say people, plural. Which would make it easier for him to keep secret at first, but much harder to maintain overtime.”

He nodded slowly, taking breaths and leaning into the hand in their hair. "Right. Yes. I know. I just…why not tell someone? He's an employee, surely they wouldn't let abusers stay. Lovey, at least, would do something, right? Honey is her brother, after all." they kept just trying to breathe, staying close to Arquis.

Arquis sighed deeply. “I do not know, love. It could be that they pay him more for offering that specific service. Or perhaps he thinks that he deserves it. Self-loathing is a powerful force.” He cupped their cheek to help soothe him, worried that they might start panicking. “I imagine his main reason for hiding it from Lovey specifically, however, is that he does not wish for her to perceive him differently. He might justify it to himself to avoid making her feel poorly or even responsible for his pain.”

He wasn’t sure how, if at all, either of them could help Honey. If he didn’t want to admit what was happening, then they couldn’t talk to him about it. They’d barely approached the subject and he’d fled almost instantly. Arquis wished he’d come back. Something about that night was bothering him like an itch; it held an uneasy sort of tension.